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Dry Eye Disease Bedford: What It Is and How to Treat It

Do you suffer from dry eye disease in Bedford? Having this condition is uncomfortable and can affect many activities in your life. But there are ways to treat it so you can live normally. Our team are experts in diagnosing and treating dry eye disease.

What It Is

Having dry eyes usually means the inability to produce enough tears, or the tears produced are not the right consistency or frequency. Major symptoms include a burning sensation or gritty feeling in the eye, stringy discharge, periods of multiple tears and then having dry eyes, pain and redness, episodes of blurred vision, and many more indicators.

How It Affects Daily Life

People with dry eye disease have limited enjoyment with activities like reading, looking at a computer, watching films or television, or even live event sports. These limits can lead to frustration, depression, and low quality of life. But luckily there’s treatment for people suffering from this.

Types of Treatment

Depending on the reason for your dry eyes, treatment can range from your optometrist prescribing medication to having surgery. If it’s simply contact lenses, then your healthcare provider will recommend new ones. You can also plug the drainage holes with plugs made from silicone or collagen, which your optometrist can insert. Also, a round of supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids can bring down irritation.

What Can You Do

There are several ways to help manage your dry eyes in addition to what your eye care professional recommends. One thing is to use artificial tears, gel inserts or ointments as a secondary line of defense and to be mindful when you do activities outdoors. Wear glasses or sunglasses with side protection or wrap-around glasses to slow down tear evaporation.

You Can Get Help

Don’t suffer with dry eye disease any longer and let it sap your quality of life or affect your work if you use computers frequently. There is help out there with a qualified, caring eye care professional who can create the right health plan for your vision.
Dry eye disease is a serious condition and at Bedford Eye Care we offer comfort and proper treatment to our patients. Phone us at 902-835-2020 or contact us to book your appointment today.

Dry Eye or MGD?
There are two main forms of Dry Eye disease. Are you treating the right one?

Tears are necessary for your overall eye health.

Dry Eye occurs when the eyes do not produce sufficient tears or the tears evaporate too quickly. Without proper treatment, inadequate tears can make daily activities frustrating, affecting your personal and professional life, from reading to watching TV, to driving or working on the computer.

The most common form of Dry Eye is Evaporative Dry Eye, which affects 9 out of 10 (86%) Dry Eye cases. This form results from a shortage of oil in your tears caused by a blockage in your eyelid (Meibomian) glands, leading tears to evaporate faster than normal. This lack of tear oil is often referred to as Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD).

Now, with the breakthrough LipiFlow® technology, it’s possible to directly treat the root cause of MGD.

Common Symptoms of MGD

These symptoms may also be accompanied by:

• Difficulty performing visual tasks, such as reading, watching TV and driving
• Inability to wear contact lenses
• Constant use of eye drops
• Trouble being out in the sun
• Symptoms that worsen late in the day

Your Evaluation

A series of evaluations will be performed to determine the likely cause of your Dry Eye. This can include a LipiView® tear film assessment and a Meibomian gland evaluation. Knowing what is causing your Dry Eye will help your doctor determine the best treatment option.

Relief with LipiFlow

LipiFlow is a procedure designed to treat the root cause of Evaporative Dry Eye, blocked Meibomian glands.

LipiFlow works by applying directed energy to the eyelid near the affected glands — precisely targeted warmth from the back of the eyelid, and slight pressure from the front. This treatment is performed right in our office. The LipiFlow treatment can unblock glands, interrupt physical deterioration and, in most cases, provide symptom relief.

Patient Testimonials

Mar 23, 2015: Yvette Landry-Scholz: It has helped my eyelids a lot, I certainly recommend it. It was worth it!

April 20'2015: Wade: Before my Lipiflow treatment I often felt like placing my face in a bucket of water because my eyes felt so dry. Since Lipiflow, I don't have that feeling anymore. Thanks Bedford Eye Care.

April 27 2015: J.S. The results I've had following Lipiflow treatment have been tremendous. I am no longer suffering from dry eye; feeling like I have sandpaper in my eyes and having to blink several times just to get a clear image. I didn't realize how much more comfortable I could feel! Thank you!!

April 29, 2015: Caryn Small Legs Nagge. I recently had the pleasure of having an appointment at Bedford Eye Care - I had made the appointment because I was having huge issues with dry eyes, to the point that in the middle of the night I could barely open them. I had an assessment done in December to see if I was a candidate for the Lipiflow treatment as I had scored quite high (over 20) on the dry eye assessment questionnaire. The procedure itself did not take very long and it was not painful or uncomfortable at all. After the treatment I was told there were things I had to do to take care of my eyes to ensure success of the treatment. I followed those instructions for 6 weeks. I cannot believe how good my eyes feel, I have literally had no issues with dry eyes at all. They feel amazing. I recently had my follow up appointment and completed the questionnaire again and scored a 6!!! I would recommend the Lipiflow treatment to anyone who is having difficulty with dry eyes, it certainly was worthwhile for me. The staff at Bedford Eye Care were extremely friendly and professional.

May 21 2015: D.S. It has made a huge difference. My eyes don't bother me at all now!

May 21 2015: P.H. I consider the conditions of my eyes very severe and irritating. My doctor suggested I have a Lipiflow treatment. The treatment was very pleasant. I'm a bit of a wimp and was nervous about the treatment, but it was not uncomfortable. Since having it done and doing the home maintenance (and learning to blink properly!), I absolutely love the reults. It is quite an improvement. My eyes don't water as much and feel much better.

June 1 2015: B.D. I had the lipiflow treatment 3 months ago and what a marvelous difference it made! Before my eyes bothered me all the tiem even though I used lubricating drops and now they don't bother me at all. The just feel good! They are so much better!!

July 20' 2015: B.B. I haven't had any problems with dry eyes since I had my Lipiflow. I'm more aware of what I can do to keep my eyes healthy and it's great!

February 22' 2016: I am glad I had the procedure done. The outcome is better than I expected by the 3 month mark. I am so pleased with the difference in how it makes my eyes feel. Money well spent!

April 16' 2016: G.S. i had dry eyes, being 57, not surprising esp since i abused contact lenses throughout my youth by wearing them 16+ hours a day. i came here for a better way to handle dry eyes. i was using drops multiple times a day and night. after the LipiFlow treatment was explained and recommended to me, i said yes please. it was quick, painless, easy. now i use drops before bed and for most days, that is it with the drops. the facilities are first class, comfortable, clean, well designed. the staff were friendly, helpful, professional. everything was explained to me. highly recommend

April 18' 2016: J.B. My eyes are feeling much better. I can feel tears remaining on my eyes for several minutes now. Before, I couldn’t notice tears at all! Redness and irritation is gone.

June 24'16: S.M. Lipiflow made me a lot more comfortable. I used to have irriated eyes in the morning and also in the evenings. They feel fine now. The Lipiflow process was simple, straight forward and effective.

June 24'16: A.L. You've changed my life! I can't begin to tell you how happy I am. My daily life was miserable and now it's wonderful. THANK YOU!!

Related Events

Apr 25 2018
6:00pm
- 7:30pm
Free Spring Lecture for Dry Eye Sufferers
Bedford Eye Care is the first clinic in the Maritimes to offer a complete solution to Dry Eye Disease, including Lipiflow technology.
Please join us for a free lecture on dry eye disease on April 25th, 2018 at 6:00 pm at the Future Inns, 30 Fairfax Drive in Halifax.